


Reizon Academy Stories

by priestessamy



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, Private School, Trans Female Character, Trans Xion (Kingdom Hearts)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-09-18 23:41:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20321455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/priestessamy/pseuds/priestessamy
Summary: The interwoven stories of students and teachers at Reizon Academy. Trans girl Xion is a new student with a crush on the strange artist Namine. Aqua and Larxene go to a wedding together, agreeing to pretend they're dating to make an old flame jealous. Olette has been friends with Kairi for years, never letting it slip how much she loves her.





	1. A Whole New World

“So, over there is the auditorium. But it's also like... the art wing. So I'm sure you'll be in and out of there a lot.”

Xion just nodded her head dumbly. In truth, most of this tour hadn't exactly been sinking in. This girl, Kairi, seemed nice enough. Maybe a little bit too chipper. But she was clearly trying her best.

The simple fact of the matter was that Xion still couldn't believe she'd actually made it to this point. She really was here. Enrolled into Reizon Academy, a private all-girls school. For most, that would have been impressive enough. But considering she'd only been 'Xion' for roughly a year and a half, it was kind of major that they'd let her in at all. Then the acceptance letter came in, and all the various forms, and it all just became so real over time.

“As you already know, your dorm is right there, which... I guess that means it's the end of the tour!” She adjusted her posture slightly, clasping her hands together in front of her. God, this girl really was the most, huh? She could only hope her preciousness didn't end up more aggravating than anything. “Um, that's all the official stuff, but I also just wanted to say, you know, if you um... wanna hang out, that would be totally cool. Me and my friend Olette, we're not, y'know, mega-popular around here. But we're pretty nice.”

Hm. Well. Xion didn't know anyone at the moment. And she couldn't be sure if she was even capable of getting a lot of friends or anything. It would be nice to have some people on her side, in case rumors started spreading and things got nasty. But then... that also meant making sure that this girl and her friend weren't bigoted themselves. It was a stupid, impossible situation that Xion didn't like one bit.

She had been silent a bit too long, and Kairi's face started to fall. “Um, but you don't have to. Just... thought I would ask.”

The fear of losing a potential friend ended up being the catalyst that got her past her nerves. Which was a kind of victory in a way. “Yeah, no, wait. It's just that... Okay so there's a thing real quick that... If you actually want to be friends, you should know that... I'm... trans. So if that's a problem, you're better off buddying up to someone else.”

Surprisingly, her face just softened and lit up with a smile. “Hah, er... Confession. I kinda already knew that. Obviously I wasn't gonna say anything, but when you take the job of being a student liaison, they give you a copy of their file so you can help them better. If I was that mean of a person, I wouldn't have asked in the first place. And Olette is like... the most chillest awesome person around. She doesn't judge anybody. Does that... answer your question?”

Xion really wasn't a person who showed a lot of emotion, not unless she was on stage or reading from a script. But the pure kindness from Kairi was enough to leave her overwhelmed, and without warning she launched forward and drew her new friend into a tight hug. “Yeah. Yeah, that answers my question.” Just as suddenly, she let her go before she ended up acting like a normal human being. “But also like no offense, I do need my alone time. So you won't be offended if I go hide in my room now?”

The girl broke out in bright laughter and seemed to shrug off the emotional moment far easier. “Yeah, of course! I've got your contact information so... I'll text you sometime?”

“Sure, that would be... nice.” She waved goodbye and started to head for her dorm. But something momentarily took her attention before she reached the door. Between the building and the arts wing they had just been looking at was a small gathering area with some benches and plants. A girl sat there with a sketchbook and a pencil, completely absorbed in her work. She was gorgeous, the kind of beautiful that always made Xion so painfully aware of how she compared to others. Platinum blonde hair, bordering on white, and a pretty sundress. Some part of her wanted to just stand here and stare forever. But who knew how long it would be until she looked up from her work and saw that she had a stalker.

So, with her face burning, she scurried inside and made way for her room to hide and cool off and not freak out at all.

* * *

Aqua held her phone in one hand, and the piece of cardboard in her other. She pulled up the information for her coworker and 'friend' Larxene, calling her with only a modicum of hesitation. True to form, she answered almost instantly. “Heeeeey, girl, what's up? You calling about this invite?”

Her lips formed a crooked smirk. Larx liked to play dumb, but the woman was clever. Of course she knew what this was about. “Yeah. Can you believe they actually had the nerve to call it the HoneyGogo wedding on this thing? I could have sworn there was a time when they hated that couple name.”

“I dunno, I'm pretty sure Honey Lemon secretly loved it. And you know Go Go, she doesn't feel she's allowed to like anything too fervently. You gonna go?”

She switched the speaker on then began double checking her calendar, just to be certain. “Yeah, I'm not coaching any swim meets that weekend. Your show isn't for months, so I'm assuming you're free too?” People assumed that being teachers was basically a part-time gig. No one ever considered the long extra hours, mentoring, clubs. All the little things that made the job really worth it.

A light cooing noise emitted from the speaker, and it was somehow equal parts sweet and grating. “Look at you, remembering my schedule better than I do! Babe~”

She rolled her eyes and growled softly. “Come on, be serious. Are you planning on going or not?”

“You're no fun... Yes, I'm going. Was that all you wanted?” You could just picture her making one of her little pouty faces. Larxene had approximately fifteen different ways of pouting, and each one conveyed a very different meaning. _Ugh, actors..._

Aqua took a deep breath. “Uh, no, I figured that since we'll both be there, we might as well travel there together. Save the environment, save on our hotel room, all of that. Plus, I er... I just want someone around who can keep me sane. I'm almost positive that Cinderella is going to be there with the princess squad. I really, truly do not want to face her alone.”

“Yeeaahh, seeing an ex at a wedding is probably like... supes awkward. Don't worry, girl, I got your back.” There was a pause. The gears in Larxene's head were turning almost audibly. “You know... I could probably do you one better than that.”

Her eyes rolled almost immediately. “How? Are you going to look her up, convince her not to show? She's friends with both brides, I can't imagine what you could say that would stop her.”

“Nooo, silly. That's just a different kind of hiding. I'm talking about making yourself feel powerful. Make her jealous. Bring a date.”

For a moment, Aqua could only stare silently at her phone. Seriously? That was her solution? Some petty high school shit like they were still students at Reizon themselves? “You have got to be kidding me. Honestly, let's say I was willing to entertain this mad idea of yours. Who in the world am I going to find that can be my date at the last second to even pull off this stunt?”

“Um, duh.” Another pause. “Do I actually have to spell this out for you? Aqua, you just suggested we travel there together and split a hotel room? How much harder would it be for us to do a little hand-holding, a little bit of flirtation, a kiss on the cheek or whatever. And boom. Cinderella is all 'Ohhhh, I miss her so much, I can't believe I broke up with her.' Easy peasy.”

“First of all, _I_ broke up with _her_. And second, have you completely lost it?? I know acting is your thing and all, but it's not mine. That would never hold up. I'd be totally awkward the entire time. Everyone would see through it. And then Cindarella will see that I'm actually a sad spinster who is just waiting for the chance to fill her apartment with cats.” Whoops. Aqua hadn't meant to get quite that depressing with her response, but it sort of just came tumbling out. The prospect of watching her friends get married was enough to make her worry that she might never be married herself.

There was a dramatic sigh from the other end of the line. “Aq'. You've never been the most expressive person. So if you were in a relationship and started acting all lovey dovey, that would definitely make people suspicious. But I'm not asking you to be the actor here. That would be my job. All you have to do is be your usual, not-so-sunny self. All serious and brooding. Leave the fawning to me. I'm telling you, this is going to be perfect! Look, I try to not cash these things in too much. But I'm asking you to trust me on this. Give me one weekend, and you'll be back together with Cindy before you know it.”

She wanted to tell Larxene she was insane, and completely ignore the wedding. But... the thought that she might actually make up with an old flame had its appeal. And... it could be kind of fun to play make believe for a day or two. See how the other half lived. “Okay, fine. But if this backfires, you owe me. Big time.”

“Lady, you got yourself a deal.”

* * *

Olette was in her room, messing around with her phone, not really doing anything too notable at the moment. Until classes actually started up, there wasn't a lot to do. Not that she was complaining. Olette knew that her tone had a tendency to change once things kicked into high gear. Because then it was all hard work with what seemed like minimal time for rest and relaxation. So, she did her best to take advantage of what free time she had.

There was a knock at her door, pulling her out of her private time. As she sat up and turned her phone off, she heard a light sniffle coming from the other side. “Come in?”

It wasn't a surprise to find that Kairi was the one who had come to see her. But Olette could never have expected to see her friend in tears. She was always so bright and cheerful. They both were. It was why they had felt drawn to each other in the first place. So whatever had hit the girl this hard, it must have been pretty bad. Olette didn't even miss a beat, getting to her feet and closing the distance between them. In as singular a motion as she could managed, she quickly shut the door and pulled Kairi into her arms, ushering her back to her bed where she could sit down.

The truth of the matter was that she really liked being close to her friend. It was her dirty little secret, nursing a crush on someone she had only ever been on platonic terms with. The oldest story there was. But she'd already adjusted to this private sadness freshman year. They were juniors now, and it was more of a dull ache that she could ignore most days. Not that Kairi usually made it easy. She was a very touchy-feely sort, as was Olette. So it wasn't unusual for them to be close. Again, it was the kind of thing she'd long since managed to get over.

She rubbed her back softly, attempting to silently urge Kairi to speak. It took her a little while to get herself under control, but she did finally manage to get herself from full-on crying to just some teary eyes and sniffling. “It's Sora.” Oof, boyfriend trouble. This was the most difficult part. Being thoughtful and understanding, no matter what.

“Is everything alright?” That wasn't exactly the question she really wanted to ask. She wanted to say 'what did that idiot do now?' But she reined it in.

“H-H-He b-broke up with me...” she said, almost initiating another round of crying. But she bit it back. “Um. He told me that... Ugh. You know um... Riku? Our mutual friend? The two of them have been growing... closer. Way closer. God, and he was such a sweetheart about it too! He said they hadn't done anything, that he wanted to be sure he was honest with me about everything before they really 'explored' the matter further. If he had just cheated on me, I could hate him. B-But... But no, he was such a gentleman...”

There was that tiny, crappy part of Olette – the one that had been suppressed so far down – that was currently doing a happy dance in her brain. But she had the good sense to just look sad and nod her head. “Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry. That does sort of make things more complicated.” In truth, Olette was wishing the same thing. If he'd just done this in a crueler way, the two of them could bond over it or something. But to hear Kairi talk about him, Sora was some kind of precious bean with nothing but the best intentions. Even now. How dare he?

“So... I wished him well, and we promised we would still be friends. But... god, I feel so stupid! How did I ever think a long-distance relationship was ever a good idea??” Her hands balled up into fists and pushed down into her knees.

Not thinking, Olette reached over and put her own hand on top of Kairi's and just held it for a moment. “Hey. You're not stupid. You really tried. You were with him for a long time. I know it's not much to get relationship advice from the single girl who's never had a date in her life. But seriously, you put your all into it. And... ya know, it didn't work out. But you're going to find someone else who appreciates you.”

“Yeah, maybe someday,” she said with a dry chuckle. “Think I need a break for now, though. It's gonna take a while to recover from this.”

Dangit. That was really not what Olette wanted to hear. Again, that small part of her was momentarily enchanted by the idea of being a rebound for her. But... that would almost undoubtedly hurt way more than how she felt now.

She didn't get the chance to say anything else. Kairi stood up and self-consciously brushed herself off. “Um, you're... just the best. Seriously, thank you for letting me blunder in here and vent. I think maybe I'm going to go take a nap. If you need anything at all, you just name it.” And with that, she was gone.

Olette flipped herself over and buried her face deep into her pillow, screaming into it.


	2. A Friend Like Me

Xion picked lightly at her lunch, occasionally glancing at her two new friends. This was still strange for her. Just sitting outside with some people, having lunch, being normal, enjoying herself. That was probably kind of a bummer way to look at it, but things had never been exactly easy for her. She finally remembered that eventually she had to go back to class and that she probably ought to shove at least a little food into her face before then. So she speared some noodles and swedish meatballs and chewed on them thoughtfully while her gaze drifted across the quad. Like always, it paused as that strange girl entered her field of view.

She was a few seconds late realizing that Olette was talking to her. “Penny for your thoughts?”

“Wha...? Oh, um... I was just...” Xion hurried to chew through what was still in her mouth before trying again. Kairi and Olette were both very nice people, which made it a little easier to open up to them than most people. It should have been annoying, but it wasn't. They were very strange people, which was perhaps ironic coming from someone so strange. “That girl. What's her deal?” It felt like the best way to ask the question without creating too much suspicion.

“Namine? I don't really know. Though I guess she's a little like you,” Kairi said, turning to look at her as well. “She transferred here last year. Reizon doesn't get too many girls that transfer in. Most just matriculate as freshmen and go the whole way through.” She finally glanced back toward Xion and smiled. “She's quiet, even in class. Draws a lot. Seems nice though! I tried talking to her once or twice, but didn't get very far.”

Xion might have been trying to play it cool, but it seemed like Olette was maybe the more observant or clever of the two. “You should go talk to her!”

Immediately her face broke out in an all-consuming blush. “H-Huh? What are you talking about, I-I was just asking about her! Because... Because she's weird. That's all.”

“Uh huh...” Someone was not impressed. “Look, no shade if you want more friends. Friends are great!”

“Alright, let's pretend for a moment that's why I asked. How the hell do I even... talk to people??” Xion hurried to take a long sip from her soda, as though she could hide behind it and erase all evidence of her obvious feelings.

Kairi hurried to answer that question before Olette could tease her further. “She has that sketchbook everywhere she goes. It's obviously important to her. Ask her about her drawings. Or talk to her about... art stuff! You're an actress, right?”

Ugh, Xion was just... _not_ used to being surrounded by positive people. Before this, she was just kind of a loner. The only person she spent much time with was Roxas, and they definitely enabled one another. But these two? They were encouraging her to step outside her comfort zone, like normal people did. “Can I at least blame the both of you if I totally bomb this and she thinks I'm some kind of creeper?”

Olette shrugged casually. “Go for it. Because we're super duper right and then you're gonna have a new friend so everybody wins. Now go on, git.”

The argument was declared over before it ever began. The next thing Xion knew, she was setting aside her tray on the grass and awkwardly making her way across the large quad to where the other girl sat, alternating between eating and drawing. Moving closer, she softly cleared her throat. But there was no response, so she tried again. When that didn't work, she opted to actually speak. “Excuse me?”

The girl's head lifted from the sketchbook and she seemed to almost... return to reality in that moment. “Oh! I'm so sorry, am I in the way?”

_In the...? What the hell does that mean? She couldn't be more out of the way if she tried! _“No. No, you're fine right where you... right where you are. I-I just wanted to talk to you.”

“What about?” she asked with a pleasant smile, seemingly grateful that she wasn't somehow in trouble.

“Well... N-No, it's not about anything. I just... You... seem nice? A-And I've seen you with that sketchbook and I was wondering... y'know, what you were drawing!” She rubbed the back of her neck and laughed awkwardly. “I'm sorry, I'm not very good at this. Um. I'm Xion, by the way.”

“Namine.” The other girl finally eased up completely, then shifted sideways along the bench, making more room for her. “Please, come look. I... don't get to show people very often. Other than my teachers.”

Canting her head to the side, she looked down at the drawing on the current page. It was a design for some kind of fantasy weapon, a sword that was shaped to look like an old-school key. The idea was a cool one, and the execution was top-notch. Xion was impressed, to say the least. “You've never shown anybody else?”

“No one has asked,” Namine mumbled in return.

“What?? Come on, I can't be the first one!” Normally, she tried her best to remain fairly cool and dispassionate. But something about this fired up that rare emotional streak. “Look at this stuff, it's great!” She turned the page over, revealing someone who looked like a priest or a cultist in a long black robe, their eyes covered by a blindfold.

She just shrugged helplessly, tucking some hair behind her ear, revealing a light blush. “I'm the weird kid. The other girls don't really want all that much to do with me. Or haven't you heard the rumors?” Her smile, so bright before, became more bitter for a moment. “I'm not a 'real girl'.”

Xion's eyes snapped open wide. “Oh my god, you too??” There was no time to further investigate this, unfortunately. The bell began to ring. She had to rush to get to her next class. But... she had to say something, right? “J-Just um...! Come to my dorm after classes! We can talk then.”

Namine was silent for a moment, before finally giving a small nod, though she still looked incredibly nervous. “Alright then.”

That settled the matter. And while she hated to leave, Xion wasn't interested in making a bad impression her first week of classes. “Great! Great, I'll see you then!” She started jogging toward the main building, knowing full well there was no chance in hell she would be able to concentrate on anything now.

* * *

It was easy to see how energized Kairi was that afternoon. Once classes had let out for the day, Olette went with her friend into town to just wander for a while. And Kairi was practically walking on air, giggling brightly. “I feel really good about helping Xion today. And Namine too! I think they're going to make great friends.”

“Yeeaahh, I get the feeling they might end up being more than just friends. I mean, did you see her blush??” Olette found her excitement contagious and joined her in laughing softly.

She thought that they were on the same page, but then she saw the look of surprise on her companion's face. “Wait, what?”

“You... Did you not notice? Xion was so clearly into her. And they both looked so nervous just trying to chat with each other.” Her laugh became a little bit more awkward as they paused to look in the window of a thrift store. The place always had the most bizarre stuff on display.

Kairi cleared her throat softly. “Um, I've never really been good with figuring out that kind of stuff...” She shrugged and continued their path down the sidewalk.

Olette was honestly surprised to hear that. Her and Sora had dated for long enough, you would have thought she'd know a thing or two about what romance looked like. Hell, Olette had a pretty good sense for these things and she'd never dated anybody before. “How did the two of you end up together in the first place?”

“Um, I dunno. We were childhood friends, and... O-Okay, so this is kind of dumb. The town we grew up in, Destiny, had this really old tradition. You share this little star-shaped fruit with someone and it like... links your hearts together forever. And we did that when we were six because we thought, y'know, 'together forever'! I guess maybe...” She idly clutched her hands behind her back and stared thoughtfully up at the sky. “Maybe we only ever started dating as a way to keep a promise to our younger selves. Like an obligation. It was nice being around him, being close. We had a lot in common. But I'm not sure anymore if we ever had a real relationship. Hearing him talk about Riku, though, I can understand that. What he really wants.” A calm look washed over her and she sighed wistfully. “I'm happy for him. Really I am. It's funny, isn't it? I should probably still be more upset, and it... does hurt. But I'm glad he found himself. Hmph, Riku better treat him right though. Or he'll have to answer to me!” She clutched her fist like the determined heroine in an anime.

Breaking out in bright laughter, Olette put a hand on her shoulder. “And I can believe it. That guy's gonna be in serious trouble if he steps out of line.” Hesitantly, she pulled it back. “And you're right. Having affection for someone beyond friendship is kind of... complex. You should like being around them, and have stuff in common. But you also probably ought to find them attractive, you know? Someone you want to be intimate with.” Damn, as soon as she started saying all that stuff, she could feel her cheeks growing hot. What in the world was she doing, trying to explain this stuff to Kairi like she wasn't the very person she wanted to be with.

Then again... Kairi had just admitted to, and proved that, she was somewhat dense in matters of love. And that meant Olette would have to pretty much say the words out loud before the girl figured it out. That was a comforting thought, a flash of an idea that filled her chest with some bravery. So, she reached over and grabbed for her friend's hand, holding it firmly. “Anyway, forget all that stuff. When the right person comes along, you'll know it! Come on, I want something to eat!”

* * *

“I honestly can't believe _this_ is your grand plan.” Aqua huffed softly as she opened her apartment door, ushering Larxene inside.

The blonde just shrugged her shoulders casually as she brushed past. “Give me some small measure of credit, my dear. This is not my grand plan. This is only the _initial stage_ of my grand plan.”

Rolling her eyes, she shut the door a little bit harder than intended. “Really? A semantics argument?”

Giggling, Larxene went to Aqua's fridge and started fishing around inside until she had located some beer that she'd left there weeks before. With a nearby opener, she popped off the cap and flung it skillfully into the trash. “Words are my thing. If I'm not particular about words, I'm nobody.” With that, she took a nice, dramatic glug of beer. “Now. Are we doing this or not?”

This had started as just funny little idea that might help Aqua from going crazy at the wedding, and just maybe getting close to Cinderella again. But then Larxene had made it clear that there was more to this plan than a 'a little hand-holding, a little bit of flirtation, a kiss on the cheek or whatever'. It had been Aqua's mistake to assume that the only time she would have to play pretend was during the wedding itself.

Larxene was an actress, and she clearly intended to do this right. So they were meeting up at her apartment to practice being a couple – whatever the hell that meant. “Larx, you're not suddenly 'nobody' just because you don't speak precisely.”

“Aww! You're sweet-talking me already. You're so good at this~”she added with a wink before heading over to sit down on her living room couch.

A low, exhausted sigh escaped Aqua as she rushed to get a drink for herself before following her to sit down. “I'm not... sweet-talking you. I'm just being a good friend.” She sat down some small distance away from the other woman, but that wasn't good enough. Larxene wormed her way over and nestled against her, head against her shoulder. 'Practice-cuddling' or whatever.

“Hey now. Being in a relationship is basically just being friends but with other stuff.” Snickering, she clinked their beer bottles together. “Hmmm. 'To finding love for Aqua' eh?”

“...cheers.” She tipped back her beer, completely missing the playful smirk on her friend's face.


	3. Whatsits Galore

Xion found herself pacing around her dorm anxiously. Classes had ended, and perhaps foolishly she assumed that Namine would show up right away. But it had been almost an hour and so far nothing. The anxiety was starting to build and she wasn't sure how in the world she was actually going to bounce back from this if it turned out that the other girl had no interest in getting to know her.

It was just about the time that the dark well of true fear started swallowing her that a knock on the door shot her right back to the real world. Scrambling somewhat, she moved across the small dorm and hurried to throw the door open. There was no telling just how much relief she felt to see Namine standing there. “Hey.” The single word came out with a long exhalation that probably revealed a little bit too much about how happy she was. “Hey, you um... You're here. I'm glad. I-I got a little worried you wouldn't.”

“I wasn't... really sure if I should,” she replied softly, practically mumbling.

That wasn't the response she was expecting, and it didn't escape Xion's notice that the girl wasn't actually walking into her room yet. “Wh- I don't understand. I-If it's because of something I did, I'm really sorry! I swear...”

Finally, she began walking into the room, and Xion shut the door behind her. As she did so, Namine shook her head slowly. “Not you. Um, some of the girls here, they just-” She shrugged her shoulders and sat very tentatively on the edge of the bed. “It's not that I want to make you feel like you made a mistake coming here. Plenty of people are really nice. But some people are uncomfortable around me. And they can be really mean. It doesn't exactly help that my spine is composed almost entirely of jelly.” She began to laugh anxiously, and Xion hurried to sit down next to her, looking at the girl with growing concern. “So sometimes I get a bit paranoid that maybe they're looking for a chance to do something bad.”

That was more than she had heard her speak in one go. It was kind of impressive. Xion's protective streak flared up, causing her to ignore her nerves. Reaching up, she began rubbing her back gently. “Hey. It's okay. You felt alone, and you're not now. You've got me.” That felt like maybe it was kind of presumptuous, and she hurried to correct herself. “I'm friends with Kairi and Olette and they're both really nice! We can look out for each other, you know?”

The two of them sat there for a moment, carefully inspecting each other. It was a few seconds longer than expected before either spoke. “So you're... you're really trans too?” Namine asked with obvious eagerness.

“Hah, well yeah, isn't it obvious?” Xion realized a second too late that her hand was lingering, and she quickly started pulling it back. “Guess I can't really judge too hard. I didn't realize you were either, not until you said something about it.”

Shockingly, Namine laughed at that – an honest laugh. It was beautiful to see, and hear, and it made her feel ten times better just to be present for it. “Aren't we supposed to have some kind of... radar for this stuff??”

“Eh... Maybe it just comes with time.”

“Hm. Perhaps.” The other girl stared off at a spot on the far wall in silence for a moment longer before gasping softly. “I never finished showing you my drawings! Oh, would you like to move over to my dorm? I have lots more there.”

A pretty girl, inviting her to her dorm room? How could Xion possibly say no to that? “Please, lead the way.”

She stood up in the daintiest way, having clearly regained her composure. She was now back to her more demure behavior. Though there would be no complaints about that. It suited her well. “Of course. It's just a little ways down the hall.” Each grade got its own floor of the dormitory, so it only made sense that Namine's room wouldn't be terribly far away. Before she knew it, the two of them were walking into a room that, while similar in form, had an entirely different feeling to it. Every available surface was covered different kinds of paper – lined, graph, construction, sketchpad – each secured in place by different means – pins, tape, sticky tack. Each one was colorful and filled with life. “Um, so yes, here's the majority of it. Do you... like it?”

Xion traced each wall, giving every image its due as though she were in an art gallery. There were more of those fantastical swords and strange warriors. Other pages held vistas that looked like they came from other worlds. A few were straight-forward portraits. All of them were excellent. “It's great, Namine. Just like I said earlier, you're awesome.”

“Maybe... I could draw you some time? I need more practice with real people. Would that be too much to ask?”

She flushed almost instantly. “Oh jeez, uh... Well, if this is really a face you want to immortalize, I guess I won't complain. But... maybe another time? I'm still kind of adjusting to just how much work they give out here and I should probably get started on all my readings and stuff soon. So! I-I better see you at lunch tomorrow, yeah?”

And then there was another bright laugh, rewarding her for being damn near charming. “Of course. It will be nice to have other people around.” Xion was just turning to leave when Namine cleared her throat softly. “Also just... j-just to be clear. Your face is nice. F-For immortalizing! Your eyes, I mean. And... Um, so, you don't have to worry. It will be fine. I'll see you tomorrow!”

“Yup! B-Bye!” Xion was out the door in a flash, sure at any moment she might burst into flames.

_What the shit was that???_

* * *

Aqua began to stir, and for a moment couldn't understand what was going on. Netflix had that telltale message asking if she was still watching or not. And laying against her, still dozing, was Larxene. She looked peaceful, not her usual impish self. In this moment, even those little antenna bangs were more charming than anything. And that was a horrifying thought that made Aqua desperate to get the woman out of her apartment. Because they were already tempting fate with this plan to pretend as though they were dating.

But Larxene's idea of practicing here and now was weird, and it left room for the obvious to happen. How close did the two of them get before the line between acting and reality blurred? Aqua wasn't a theater person, she was an athlete. This wasn't her thing at all. So it was even harder to figure out. She knew that, intellectually. She was in dangerous territory. But maybe she also didn't care so much. At least it was something. It was interesting. Larx could be pretty decent company. She was funny, and it didn't feel so horrible snuggling up to her.

_No._

No, this was definitely not a train of thought to be entertaining. Aqua started gently nudging her friend, urging her to wake up. “Alright, your little experiment was a success. Stage one complete, now get the hell out.” Even as she said it, she could feel her lips curling into a light smile. Dammit, it was already happening. She was becoming fond of her presence. How in the hell was she supposed to get back together with Cinderella at their friends' wedding when she was too busy having very conflicted feelings for this ridiculous blonde idiot instead?? Nope, she needed some space to clear her head.

Larxene wasn't making it easy though. She groaned softly, practically nuzzling her shoulder in the process. “Nooo... you're so comfy... How dare you take advantage of me like this, only to kick me to the curb? You monster~”

Aqua couldn't have rolled her eyes any harder. “I'm not kicking you to the curb. I'm making you go home. We're adults, and that means we have to do adult things.”

As the two of them got up from the couch, Larxene almost instantly gave her a knowing look. “Pretty sure I have to stay here if we wanna do _adult things..._”

“I swear to god, you are just... the most.” She gripped her tightly by the shoulders and started guiding her toward the door. “I know for a fact you haven't finished blocking for the fall play, not to mention choosing the audition scenes. And I've already got things to grade for health class. I hate to say it, but we're the boring kind of adults now.”

Right on cue, she got one of those trademark pouts. This one conveyed disappointment, but of a more honest nature than she usually displayed. “Alright alright alright. I've been trying for years to get that stick out of your ass, and I have yet to find success. I know when a cause is lost with you...”

That felt like a low blow, but Aqua had also been serious about getting at least a little bit of work done today. So she decided to let it go rather than try to bother defending herself. Which had nothing at all to do with the disarming way her friend could pout and draw sympathy. It was practically her superpower, and it took some work to fight back against it. “You got me to agree to this plot in the first place. I'd say that's one hell of an accomplishment.”

Larxene studied her for a moment, her face easing, and she finally nodded in agreement. “Yeah. Yeah I guess it is. Alright, I'll bug you later this week. Thanks for putting up with my bullshit for so long.” At which point she leaned in and pressed a light kiss to Aqua's cheek. “Toodles!” After the door shut, Aqua leaned against it for support.

_What the fuck was that???_

* * *

Neither Olette nor Kairi had really done any purchasing that day. It wasn't as if they had a ton of money to burn. So they were pretty used to bumming around to different stores and window-shopping. On days like today where they were feeling especially good, they would also spend some time trying on different clothes and modeling for each other. Until now, it was something that Olette deeply enjoyed, but also felt especially guilty about.

Now, though... It was strange. Kairi was single, so she should have felt less guilty. Instead, she felt almost... more. When she popped out of the dressing room in a sleeveless dress with a cute little hood on it, Olette about died. It was so adorable, she was tempted to lose all of her money just secretly buying it for her. Luckily, she at least managed to keep a lid on that impulse – but not the one that made her cheeks turn warm. “You're so pretty. Seriously, I wish I could pull off stuff like that!”

Speaking of impulses she wished she could keep a lid on...

Luckily, Kairi didn't seem to mind at all. She just giggled softly and shrugged. “You have your own style that I feel like I can't do either, though. I hate how I look in capris, but they work so well on you. Even after two years, I still don't know how you get those hair twirls either.” After mumbling through her reply, she dipped back into the dressing room to change again. From behind the door, she continued speaking. “So... you said Xion was definitely into Namine. Do you think she likes her back?”

Olette gave the question some serious consideration. “Dunno. It was hard to tell from a distance. I think maybe it could happen. But they were both pretty nervous, and it will probably take a while. Should be cute to watch, though!”

Kairi finally emerged, back in her normal clothes. “It's strange. I never expected I would have such a diverse group of friends. I mean... my ex is with a guy. And there's Xion. Y'know, I think maybe Miss Aqua might be... something too? I'm not sure though...”

Wait... Had this seriously never come up before? Olette was so surprised that she didn't think about whether or not she should even say something. “Hey, silly, it's even more diverse than that. I'm bi~”

The look of surprise on her face was pretty cute, no denying. “Oh! Oh my gosh, I had no idea. Wow, how... how did I not know that??”

“Cuz you never asked~” she teased playfully. It felt good to put it out there, to finally just get a read on how Kairi might react. She couldn't imagine how awful it would feel if that was the thing that broke their friendship.

The two headed for the doors once they put the clothing back on the racks. They wandered without too much chatter for a while, but eventually Kairi piped up again. “Can I ask a potentially offensive question?”

Olette braced herself. But after all these years, she felt like she owed the girl a few chances to stumble here and there. “Go for it.”

She didn't respond right away. Maybe summoning the courage to actually say it. “Um... have you ever... y'know... been interested in me? I-It's just that... Well, the more I think about stuff with Sora, the more I get paranoid that he was never even all that interested in me. And I maybe need to hear that I'm not totally unlikable.”

Woah. Did Kairi seriously not know how cute she was?? Well... considering what had happened, it made a sad sort of sense. And ultimately, Olette's need to make sure her friend was okay overrode her desire to fly under the radar. “Um, yeah, I mean of course. You're sweet, and pretty, and really thoughtful. That doesn't weird you out or anything, does it?”

Their walk had already brought them back to campus. This day had somehow managed to go both way too fast and way too slow. That thought was interrupted, however, as her friend hugged her tightly, squeezing her with an affectionate sigh. “No, it's not weird at all! I'm really glad you told me.” And just like that, it was over and Kairi was pulling away. “Okay, I really need to get back to my dorm now. See you tomorrow?”

Laughing bashfully, she rubbed the back of her neck. “Sure, of course. See you tomorrow.” Olette lingered while the other girl dashed toward the dorm building excitedly. Exhausted, she collapsed onto a nearby bench, staring up at the sky as it darkened and the stars began showing up.

_What the heck was that???_


	4. Problem-Free Philosophy

After the very strange day that she'd had, Olette's life did finally calm back down. Xion had, impressively, convinced the weird girl Namine to join them whenever they hung out. As it turned out, she wasn't even all that weird. Heck, she was kind of a major sweetheart, which seemed to be a pattern lately. She might have been quiet, but when she spoke, she said some really worthwhile things. Now having these two new people in her life, she also felt like she could comfortably double down on her assurance that Xion and Namine were super into each other. It was absolutely the cutest thing ever, but the downside was that she became even less certain if she really had any chance with Kairi.

Nothing had changed since that moment she admitted that she'd been attracted to her. They just kept right on hanging out and being their normal selves. Everything was the same, but it seemed as though that shouldn't be the case. A plan was forming in her mind, and finally the perfect moment presented itself.

The four of them were outside, enjoying the last bit of beautiful weather before the chill of fall settled in. Xion had been studying lines for class when an alarm on her phone went off. “Shoot, it's time. Quick, tell me to break a leg.” It wasn't often you got to see her looking so energetic.

“Why in the world would I say that!” Namine said with a gasp.

“Old theater superstition. 'Good luck' brings bad luck. So you say 'break a leg' instead.”

They each gave it due consideration before saying the bizarre blessing with various degrees of certainty.

Not five minutes later, Kairi did almost the same thing. “Oh jeez, swim practice! Bye guys!” She dashed off across the campus toward the gym.

This left just the two of them. Namine was working quietly on a sketch, as per usual, while Olette finished up some homework. She gave it a few minutes just to be sure, then gently cleared her throat as she closed up her notebook. “Hey, can I ask you something kinda, like... awkward?”

She dutifully closed her own sketchbook and nodded with her usual pleasant smile. “Of course you can, we're friends aren't we?”

Hm. Simple enough. Olette could appreciate that. “How do you feel about Xion?”

Go figure, that simplicity could go both ways. “Oh, she's been a good friend to me already. I feel much safer since we became friends. Like I know she's going to have my back.”

That wasn't what she was looking for at all. She took a deep breath and made another attempt. “Um, oof, okay, so... I was more asking like... It kinda seems as if maybe you're into her. And if that were the case, then maybe I could offer a sort of... idea.” Okay, never mind, she wasn't much better with talking about this stuff than Namine.

Her pale face immediately turned a deep red, and she sat there in silence for a surprising amount of time. When she finally found her voice again, it came out as a low whisper. “P-Please don't say anything. Xion is so great and I don't want to make things weird. I-It will ruin everything.”

“What?? Nami, no way, I promise you, she's definitely into you too. And even if she weren't, I don't think a little thing like that would ruin everything.” She cleared her throat softly, figuring the best way to deal with this was to be honest. “The truth is... I've liked Kairi for a while now. And I sort of thought that maybe if we did a double date thing, it will be less terrifying for all of us. But I also understand if you don't want to. It's just... something I wanted to ask.”

Again, she really gave the matter some serious consideration. That was kind of comforting, the way she approached everything so intentionally. You knew that Namine would never say something she didn't mean. “I noticed the way you look at her. And I think I've seen her looking at you too. I've gotten used to being observant. Um... If you really think this could work, I-I think maybe it's worth... giving it a try?”

Without missing a beat, Olette hurled herself at Namine and hugged her with all her might. You could tell that the poor thing wasn't exactly used to affection at the moment. But she would probably adjust considering who her friends were now. “Yes! You're the best! I promise, you won't regret this~”

* * *

It was another successful swim practice, and Aqua was in her office connected to the locker room. It seemed like there was always some new piece of paper work to go over. Waivers and permission slips and a million other tiny things you just had to put up with. A sudden knock at the door drew her attention, and she looked up to see Kairi standing there. She looked like she had rushed to change back into her clothes, hair still damp from a rushed drying. “Excuse me, Miss Aqua? I was wondering if maybe you had a moment to talk about something.”

“Of course. Please, come in.” She honestly couldn't be sure what this was about. Practice had been pretty standard, nothing weird happened. But Kairi was a good kid, and Aqua knew she deserved a listening ear.

“Do you mind if I close the door?” Aqua shook her head, and the girl closed it dutifully before settling into the small chair across from her. “Um, s-so... I want to ask you something, but I know it sort of crosses into awkward territory. I'm not even sure if it's okay or not.”

This was nothing new. Poor thing could be too sweet for her own good sometimes. “Tell you what, I'll make you a deal. You just ask me your question, say whatever's on your mind. And if there's something I can't discuss, then we'll just skip it. No harm, no foul.”

The promise put her at ease and she sank into the chair a bit more. “I was under the impression that you were... gay? A-And that's not a problem at all! I just think it will make this make more sense. See, it turns out my ex is bi, and I'm friends with two trans students now. Um, and it turns out that my best friend is bi too! And... And she told me that she has thought of me as attractive before. I don't think I've ever had confused feelings before, but now it's like... all I can think of!”

Wow. This was not a conversation Aqua would have expected to have. Definitely not with someone so unassuming. But hey, sexuality wasn't dependent on personality. And right now she needed to hear some good news. “You're right, I am. And you shouldn't be ashamed or embarrassed by confused feelings. They're pretty normal. Unfortunately.” She made sure to turn and give Kairi her full attention. “Are these confused feelings about anyone in particular?”

“The uh... The friend I mentioned? We've been so close for two years, and I never once thought of her that way. But now I keep noticing how pretty she is, and how nice it is to be around her. So, I'm worried that I'm just thinking that way because of what we talked about, and not because I necessarily like her back! You know what I mean?” She huffed, wringing her hands together in her lap. “I'd hate for something to happen, only for me to realize it was a mistake later on.”

From what she knew, it was pretty easy to piece together the details that Kairi was skirting around. But keeping the veneer of anonymity felt like a kindness for the time being. So she would have to keep it vague too. “Just because feelings are sudden or temporary doesn't mean they're not real. If you learn something and it _doesn't_ change the way you see the world, I think that's the _real_ cause for concern. Imagine the other version of things, where you never pursue these thoughts any further, and then you end up regretting it.”

Oh god. Oh crap. Aqua had realized it too late, only after the words had left her mouth. It was such a cliché, and now here she was living it. She was talking to herself as much as the girl sitting across from her.

“I always thought I was straight. But I suppose there was only ever the one boy I felt anything for. Does this make me bi or gay or...?”

Before she got caught up in her thoughts, or Aqua got caught up in her own, she hurried to cut her off. “Labels can be helpful, but not when they feel like a burden. Don't push yourself to figure it out. Some of it just takes time.” She glanced briefly through the little window to where the other girls were. Several of them were already gone, but she did see a few faces that gave her pause for thought. “Also, I'm just one person. Some of what I've said may not work for you. If you're still feeling lost, I would recommend talking with Moana or Ariel. They've never been very subtle about their relationship. Could be one of them has some good advice for you too.”

The difference was plain on her face. She looked so relieved now. “Thank you, Miss Aqua. I knew you'd have some good advice. I think... I think maybe I'll go do that.” She gave a little formal bow before leaving the office.

Once the room was empty, Aqua slowly closed the blinds and slumped in her seat. “...fifty bucks says you don't follow your own goddamn advice, idiot...”

* * *

Xion exhaled, deep and slow. There was something about auditioning that always made her feel so energized. More like herself, and yet not at all like herself. She loved it. But now that the fun stuff was out of the way, there was something important that she had to deal with. Something way less fun. But it had to be done.

She waited patiently as everyone else slowly filtered out of the auditorium. Finally, she approached the drama teacher, feeling the butterflies well up in her stomach. “Miss Larxene?”

The woman immediately rolled her eyes and gave a little wave of her hand. The way she sat so casually on the edge of the stage, you could almost be forgiven for thinking she was a student. “I swear, I tell you girls all the time. That 'Miss' stuff just isn't for me. Call me Larxene.”

Woof. She wanted to love the nonchalance, but it also felt... very weird. “O-Okay, Larxene then. There's some stuff I wanted to talk to you about with the play? I made a note on my audition sheet.”

She reached over for the stack of papers sitting nearby, sifting through until she found hers, scanning it quickly. “Ya damn sure did. Here, pop a squat and tell me what's up?” She shuffled over gracefully and made room for her.

Bewildered, Xion hopped up and sat next to the woman. She cleared her throat while searching her brain for the speech she'd been planning all week. “So obviously I don't wanna assume anything about the casting, this is more of a just-in-case thing. But umm... I wanted to specify that I would rather not play any of the male roles.”

She nodded, seemingly connecting the dots in her head for a moment or two before slapping herself in the forehead. “Oh em gee, duh. Yeah, of course, kiddo. I don't wanna like... make anything awkward for you. I'll be sure to make a note of that here.” She grabbed up a nearby pen and did just that, with very flourishing script. “I'll be honest, this is new for me. But the comfort of my students is always gonna come first, ya know?”

Wow, that... was insanely easy. She gave a loud sigh of relief. “And while we're on the subject, I also wanted to just... Um, so I-I don't want to end up in any awkward situations with the other girls. So is there... I-I mean if I do get a part. Um, it would probably be best if I had somewhere private to get changed? Just... I'd hate for things to blow up because... of reasons.”

That request got her more of a surprised look, but Larxene just shrugged again. “Hm. Well, you can probably just use my office, if it comes to that.” She looked off toward the seating for a moment in thought. “Again, safety first. But also... well, you're obviously a theatre kid, so I'm sure you know this. You get used to being in and out of everyone's changing rooms. Stage managers coming to bug you, costuming folks needing to make last minute alterations. Or just because people want to hang out with your friends. You get desensitized to 'reasons' pretty quick.”

Larxene might have looked like a younger person, but she certainly seemed to have the extra years of experience. And she carried it flawlessly. Even with all that comforting, Xion still felt anxious about the idea. “I know... But it still terrifies me to think that someone will freak out, or worse.” Maybe her talk with Namine had scared her. Just a bit. Even as she promised to protect her.

Larxene just nodded with that same smile. “Tell you what. I'll see what I can do about securing you a place to change, just in case. But in the meantime, I want you to check in with a few of the other students. Jasmine and Esmeralda are pretty safe bets. They're real damn laid back about everything. Bet you fifty bucks they'd have your back.”

The idea was a good one, but it was still pretty terrifying. It meant opening up to more people, being honest about herself, not to mention depending on them. But... maybe? It was worth thinking about at least. “Y-Yeah, okay. I guess I could try that. Um, thanks Miss- Hah, sorry. Thanks Larxene.”

Surprisingly, the blonde gave her a tight hug before sending her on her way. “Oh, you kids are just the cutest! You're gonna be just fine, Xion. Swearsies.”

In something of a haze, she left the auditorium and headed back to the dorms. She still had a lot to think about.


	5. All This Romantic Atmosphere

Aqua eyed the restaurant warily. She remembered it well, considering just how many times they'd eaten there in college. Now, it held an almost anxiety-inducing quality to it. She stood there, her hand in Larxene's, knowing that all of their friends were inside. After all of this plotting and practicing, it was finally time to shine.

Maybe her nerves wouldn't have been so rattled if they'd actually gotten into town at a reasonable hour. But Larx had been a little bit late, and there wasn't even time to check into their hotel room. Meaning that after an hour and a half of driving, they had to just hop out and... pretend that this was real. No chance to spend time focusing before the rehearsal dinner. “Hey, I just had an idea. Please murder me.”

That earned her an admittedly deserved eye roll, and Larxene's hand squeezed hers just a tiny bit painfully. “And you say _I'm_ the drama queen. Did you forget we're doing this to get you laid or what?”

“Could you not be so crass about it, at least?? But... your point is made. Just please don't leave me alone, because I can't lie to save my life.”

“Okay, first of all, that's the most goddamn adorable thing ever. Second of all, don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I have my goal for the weekend, and I shan't stray from it!” That seemed to end the matter and suddenly Aqua was being dragged toward the main door of the restaurant and inside. “Hi, we're here for the wedding party?”

The hostess nodded with a trademark welcoming smile and led them through the fairly quiet main portion of the building and into the back. It was clear that most everyone else had already arrived. Standing close to the door was the happy couple with their very non-traditional family. Honey Lemon smiled broadly while Go Go tried her best to look only mildly pleased (though you could tell she was loving this). “Aqua! Larxene! I'm so glad that you could make it!”

“Yeah, it wouldn't be quite the same without you two,” Go Go muttered through her mild embarrassment. You could tell the poor woman just was not used to entertaining. But it was also obvious just how much she meant it. Honey Lemon had gotten along famously with all of the princesses. But Aqua and Larxene were definitely closer to Go Go – they appreciated her sass and snark, of course.

“Well, of course we both agreed we simply had to be here! This is awesome, you know?”

It felt weird, hanging on her friend's arm and just letting her take care of all this conversation. Even if there was no stupid lie, Aqua still would have been at a loss for how to do this. As much as she loved and cared about all these people, she just was not the talkative kind. It made the entire charade much simpler. Just hold that hand and smile and nod.

And never once think too hard about it. Keep moving forward.

Once those pleasantries were out of the way, they headed further into the room where all of the tables were set up. Larxene leaned in a little closer, dropping her voice to a whisper. “Target acquired. You're doing great, just keep following my lead.”

Everything was organized in a kind of U-shape. Along one side sat Cinderella, Snow, Aurora, Tiana, and several others. She expected to be directed over, to sit down next to them. Instead, Aqua was guided to sit down on the other side of the formation, putting almost the entire room between herself and the 'target'. Seriously, this plan still made almost no sense to her. “Okay, so... what now?”

“Look at her, make eye contact for a second or two. Then, you look back toward me, and laugh like I just said something goofy.”

_Well, nothing too tough about that. You're always saying goofy shit... _Aqua smirked and glanced over at where her ex was currently chatting with the rest of her friends. It took only a moment or two of watching her before Cinderella caught her gaze, and she smiled softly at her. It was... nice? But the whole point of this scheme was that Aqua missed her ex and wanted to spark something between them in the hopes that they might get back together.

Yet looking into her eyes just now, it was only... nice. That was kind of a hitch. Did Aqua really want to even bother with all of this? She and Cinderella were in different places both literally and metaphorically. They had history, but their future together was probably limited. Perhaps she would have thought longer on that stuff, but a tight squeeze on her hand brought Aqua back to the present moment. “Hey, what happened to the part where you laugh fondly at my antics? Get your head in the game, girl!”

Now she was looking toward Larxene, and for a moment into her eyes. She saw just how electric and excited she was. To go back on this now would seriously upset her, and the only thing worse than seeing this woman at her most manic was seeing her at her most disappointed. All that pouting and moping. It was awful. And yeah, maybe there was no hope of being in a relationship with Cinderella again. But hooking up with her would be really really nice, and it would keep Larxene happy. So.

“It might be easier if you actually say something ridiculous.”

“Ugh, fine. If you and Cindy have to use our hotel room, I'm definitely going to bunk with Aunt Cass. Because _mrow_.” She literally started purring as she looked the woman up and down.

To her credit, that definitely got a laugh out of Aqua, to the point that there were a few tears in the corners of her eyes. “Can you please be less gross? That's like... That's like going to a wedding and hooking up with the bride's mom!”

“You say that like it's not the exact kind of thing I would try to do...”

Aqua couldn't help but laugh more. You could always depend on her to surprise you.

* * *

It had been relatively easy for Olette to talk to Namine about this big idea of hers. But since they had agreed to it, that meant the next step was to actually... ask Kairi out. And theoretically admit the truth in the process. And that was so terrifying. Even with Namine's assurance that they both looked at each other in some significant way. She did her best to just keep focusing on that as she summoned up the courage to finally do this.

She thought back to their first week during freshman year. Both of them had been looking pretty lost and uncertain as they wandered around the orientation event. Kairi in particular was mostly playing the wallflower, and something about that had called out to Olette. So she approached her, and they started talking, and clicked so instantly. It had been a magical moment, tainted only slightly by the eventual announcement that her new friend was already dating someone. Still, she had felt a connection, and refused to let that be overshadowed by disappointment. They remained friends, and it had been two wonderful years.

Now, Kairi was single, and maybe things were a little bit less clear. There really was nothing else to it but to try. Even if maybe her hand was trembling as she knocked at her friend's door. Of course she answered it and looked pleased as hell to see her. “Hey! I was wondering if I might hear from you tonight~”

_Augh! That smile and that playful tone and... Okay, you can do this, idiot. It's the simplest thing in the entire world to say a few words. _“Yeah, I was wondering if you had a second. I mean, we can also just hang out obviously. But I wanted to chat about something.” Hoo boy, that didn't sound great now that she'd said it out loud.

But to her surprise, Kairi just stood aside, her smile not fading at all. “Of course! Good timing, I actually had something I wanted to talk about too.”

Olette refused to connect any of the dots, not wanting to get her hopes up, and just entered the room. The two of them sat down on the edge of the bed. Drumming her fingers on her knees, she gave her throat a gentle clearing before trying to find her voice again. If she did this, and it backfired, then it could interrupt whatever her friend wanted to say. “Please, y-you first.”

But she just shook her head and shrugged. “No no, you're the one who came by to talk. It can wait.”

Uugghhhh, why did she have to be so freaking perfect? How could she deflect it after that? “Right. Yeah, okay. So... So I talked with Namine and... O-Okay, I want you to be completely honest with me if I'm off the mark here. No being super nice about it. Anyway! It turns out I was right about her and Xion. And, um, we talked about maybe doing a double-date with the four of us. Which... is my very roundabout way of saying that I want to go on a... date. With you.” Olette had put an unreasonable amount of time into preparing for this. And nearly all of it was dashed just being in the same room as her friend, seeing her face, feeling the energy that seemed to constantly radiate off of her. But she'd said something akin to her intended words, so that would have to do.

Kairi looked appropriately surprised, but at least she didn't appear upset. She also wasn't looking at Olette anymore, instead staring down at the floor, sighing softly. “...I-I think I'd rather just stay in...”

Oof. An arrow straight through her chest. That sucked. That really sucked. But she'd made a promise to herself that no matter what happened, she would never let this come between the two of them. “Oh. I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to make anything weird. I just... I-I dunno.”

“What?” Finally, their eyes locked again and the other girl shook her head anxiously. “Wait, no. That's not what I meant. See, the thing is... I-I think maybe I might be something? Um, by which I mean not straight. And maybe... you mean a lot to me. More than I realized! But it seems like you had that figured out a while ago.”

_Holy crap? Holy crap!!_

Olette swallowed and tried to keep herself from freaking out. Was this actually happening after all? That had seemed so impossible just a few weeks before. They had come this far, might as well be honest. “Er, yeah. A while now. Oh, jeez, not like I was just laying in wait for my chance to spring. But I've always thought you were amazing. I hope that's not weird.” She thought about it for a moment longer, running the conversation back in her head. “But... you don't want to go out on a date?”

“Of course it's not weird. You've always been so understanding. And you never gave me bad advice or anything. I know you did your best.” The second question caused her face to fall slightly. “It's not exactly that I _never_ want to go on a date. But this is very, very new for me. And I don't feel especially confident about being public. Yet. But... I want to. Someday.” And there it was. Like always. Even when Kairi got scared, she always ended up on a positive note. Like she had some deep well of powerful optimism. Just one more thing that made her incredible. “Talking with some of the others helped a lot. Moana and Ariel, on the swim team? They gave me some really good advice.”

Reaching out, she took her hand. And it felt so different from how it usually did. More intimate. “The others might be a little disappointed. But if you would prefer to stay in, that's fine too.”

* * *

It was a quiet Friday evening and Xion hadn't really expected anything to come from it. She and Namine were hanging out in the girl's room as she tried to get her into one of her favorite anime. It was a little more artsy than your standard stuff, the kind of thing that seemed like it would hit all the right notes for her. And for the most part, that had been true. She was engaged and obviously enjoying herself, but still Xion got the impression that maybe something was on her mind.

As if to prove her right, the girl suddenly paused the show at the end of a random episode and sat up. She had such poise, even while they were relaxing. It was stunning, to say the least. And then she dropped the bomb. “Xion. Olette and I were discussing something the other day and we decided it was time to explain. She and I would like to take you and Kairi out on a double date tomorrow night. Are you free?”

All she could do was sit there in disbelief for a moment or two. A few quick sentences, so formal and direct. And there it was. She hadn't been imagining it, there really was something here. How in the world had Namine done that? Put it out there like it was nothing? Well, maybe not nothing. Her face was certainly red as could be. And she was fiddling a lot with the hem of her dress.

“Of course! Yeah! Damn, I didn't even... Um, so you like me then?”

Her shoulders rose and fell, her lips spreading into a wide smile. “Yes. You've been so nice to me since we first met. And you're so pretty a-and... I like being around you. I was just afraid to let it show. But if you feel the same, then... I'm glad. Really glad.” Finally her posture eased up and Namine shuffled over so that the two of them were seated directly next to one another. She let her head dip down to rest on Xion's shoulder before setting the next episode to play.

“I'm really glad too...” Xion whispered softly.


	6. A Girl Worth Fighting For

“One bed? Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Shit, I'm sorry. I was filling out the form online and just sort of assumed that this would fit our story better. If anyone wanted to come by, and we were using separate beds, it might look weird! Come on, Aq', we've split beds before.”

It was late and Aqua was tired. If she had discovered this when they first got into town, she might have insisted that they march right back down to the front desk and get a new room. But after a big dinner and some light drinking, she just didn't have the energy for it.

Though there was that terrifying thought in the back of her mind. The knowledge that Larxene could be sneaky and very clever. And maybe she'd made them late on purpose. Maybe she knew that if they got to the hotel later that night, she wouldn't feel the need to make a fuss. Maybe she wanted to share a bed. But that was so insanely paranoid that it made her even more worried for herself. Aqua was maybe experiencing some confused thoughts lately. And if she bothered entertaining this, it would lead to a fucking spiral. “Yeah. Sorry... You know how it is, I'm still freaking out about all this stuff. It's cool. Let's just get to bed. Gonna be a long day tomorrow.”

* * *

Initially, when Xion had heard that the double date had been changed to a single date... Yeah, maybe she had freaked a little bit. The idea of going out as a group when they were already a group felt like a safe bet. First, there was the minor fear that Kairi had shot poor Olette down. Once those worries were assuaged, there was mostly just the terror of imagining herself and Namine going out to dinner and being so totally awkward that it killed the mood.

But Xion could also be kind of hard-headed, and she refused to back down now. Namine said that she would take care of everything, and the only thing she had to do was show up. That was comforting, not to mention a surprise for someone who was otherwise so humble and soft-spoken. Still... it was clear how smart she was, and Xion believed that the other girl could pull it off.

Wearing one of her favorite black dresses with the cute plaid accents, Xion stepped outside into the early afternoon air. It was a gorgeous day, the perfect temperature, and it put a kind of lightness in her step. Sure enough, Namine was sitting in her former favorite spot, on the usual stone bench. She wore a white sundress, the same that she had on the first time that she'd ever seen her. Her heart began thumping heavily in her chest. Damn, she was beautiful.

Their eyes met and Namine smiled brightly at her. Sitting on her lap was a small basket. She stood and gripped it in her hands, smile only widening further as Xion approached. “Um, hi. I hope you don't mind taking a quick bus ride?”

In that moment, she would have happily gone walking right into hell if that was what the situation required. “Yeah, totally. Do I get to know where we're headed?”

She was given only a surprisingly impish smile in return. “Sorry, it's a secret!”

As the two of them climbed aboard a bus heading into town, they sat together – Namine putting the basket in her lap and nestling against Xion. This probably could have been the entire date and she would have felt like it was successful. But there was clearly more in the works, and she was definitely excited to find out what it was.

As it turned out, their destination was the beach. Were it earlier in the year, the place would probably have been swarming with people looking to swim, surf, and sunbathe. Instead, it was quiet and peaceful. Namine led the way down onto the sand, reaching into her basket and retrieving a light blanket, spreading it out for them and motioning for her to sit down.

Once they were both in position, she began retrieving food from inside and placing them on top of the blanket. “Um, so I kinda called in a favor with Olette since she and Kairi weren't joining us. She got us a bunch of stuff from the cafe where she works. We've got... sandwiches, chips, sodas, and some brownies!”

They took their time enjoying the food, simple as it was, chatting all the while. In spite of Xion's worries that they wouldn't have anything to talk about, conversation came easy after a while. She took the advice she'd been given originally, talking about art and acting and music and all kinds of things with her friend. Her... date. That thought didn't fail to give her a warm feeling in her belly.

When the food was all gone, they packed everything up and went for a walk along the beach. Every now and then, Namine would suddenly pause with a dramatic gasp before running over to some random spot in the sand, tugging free a shell or sand dollar and safely putting it away inside her basket with the most contented look on her face. At some point, she finally caught Xion looking at her and giggling softly. “Wh-What...?”

“Oh, it's nothing...”

“Come on, tell me!”

Just a day ago, Xion wouldn't have dared say what was on her mind. It was too honest, and brought her feelings too much into the light. But now, why wouldn't she? What was the danger? They obviously felt the same. And it was the kind of thing you did on a date. “You're just... so cute. Everything you do is freaking adorable. I'm really happy right now.”

Namine's blush practically doubled in that moment. “Oh~” Her attention diverted for a moment, and just like that she was dashing away from Xion to grab another shell. This one was gigantic, easily bigger than a fist. A large conch in shades of blue and purple. She was bouncing with excitement as she brought it back. Rather than stowing it away as she had done with all the others, she instead pushed it into Xion's hands. “Here. A memento.”

Oh, to hell with it. She couldn't not. “Thank you~ It's perfect.” Summoning up every ounce of courage she had in her body, she leaned forward. As cautiously as she was able, she pressed her lips against Namine's. There was a moment of panic from the other girl, but after a few seconds, the kiss deepened slightly. She was pretty sure she even heard her give a happy little sigh.

It was ultimately pretty chaste, but in her mind, it felt like such a major step. They were both blushing as they pulled away, each one laughing bashfully and hastily speaking in unison.

“A-Anyway we should probably get back to school!”  
“Um, so are y-you ready to go??”

Yeah, it was probably time head back. Before one of them imploded.

* * *

“A picnic on the beach? That's the cutest thing I've ever heard...”

Olette chuckled and grabbed another bunch of noodles with her chopsticks, slurping them up without shame. “Right? When Nami asked me about getting them some food, I could hardly contain my excitement.”

Kairi stared off into space, deep in thought. It was a look that Olette had become very accustomed to. “It's funny... I just never thought about this kind of stuff before now. Not positive or negative. Just... it never occurred to me. But now? It all seems so normal.”

That reminded her of something Kairi had said the other day after she asked her out. “So... you said you got advice from some people?”

“Yes. I talked with Miss Aqua first. I wasn't exactly sure if she was gay, but... I had to take the leap. Thankfully, she is, and she helped a lot.”

Olette grinned, not really able to stop herself from being playful. “And when you came into her office, you told her about how you were madly in love with me?”

Kairi slapped her shoulder dutifully before hiding behind her carton of fried rice. “Hush... I told her how confused I was. But she told me not to be scared of feeling a little uncertain. And then she directed me to Ariel and Moana. I think... seeing two girls who were so clearly in love made it seem more real. And... And yeah. Okay. Maybe I told them that part of the reason I was asking was because... y'know... my best friend was actually bi and thought I was cute. Also how confused that made me.”

“Aww, shoot, I didn't mean to confuse you with that. You just... sounded like you needed some good news.”

She just shrugged and smiled bashfully. “It wasn't bad. Just strange for a little while. Miss Aqua told me that even if feelings were transitory, they were still real. Um! Not that I think I'm going to suddenly stop liking you. Just... Just...”

Olette giggled softly and reached over, fondly tousling Kairi's hair. “Woah there, it's okay. I know, it's really confusing. I had accepting friends and family and I figured stuff out when I was a kid. Not everyone gets to have that. I'm cool if things are unsteady for a bit.”

She ate her rice quietly for a moment or two. “Um, you mentioned liking me for a while?”

Ugghhhh... Olette knew this was probably going to come up at some point. But that didn't mean she had to like it. “I-I don't really wanna say. It's embarrassing.”

Gasping, Kairi sat up a little taller and gave her shoulder another playful slap. “Come on, we're bearing our souls here. Out with it.”

“...pretty much from the moment we met. It was just an instant connection. O-Obviously, as soon as I knew about Sora, I promised myself I would never try to screw with that...” she muttered awkwardly.

Her friend actually gave a surprisingly dramatic sigh with a roll of her eyes. “Olette! We've been over this. You've always been a great friend to me. Everything worked out. We're here now, and I like you too. I think it's amazing that you went two years feeling that way and never once did anything sketchy. You're... amazing...” She carefully set her food aside, then snuggled up against her. Kairi wrapped her arms around Olette and just held her for a bit.

Sensing the change in mood, Olette put her own food down and returned the affection. Kairi was right. She was being kind of ridiculous about this entire thing. They were obviously into each other, so why bother dwelling on something that she didn't even do? “You're amazing too, ya know? I mean, you went straight to Miss Aqua and talked to her about some really personal stuff. And when she pointed you to those other students, you willingly opened up to them too. I know you're confused, but you're handling it like a champ.”

* * *

The wedding had, thankfully, been fairly painless. The brides had included their whole extended family in the ordeal. Hiro played ring-bearer, and Fred was 'Dude of Honor' for both women. And Wasabi had gotten himself a license to officiate just for the occasion.

It was the reception at the hotel that really had Aqua freaking out. And Larxene wasn't helping. She was clutching at her arm as they walked into the room, leaning in to whisper into her ear in a way that was absolutely not nice at all. “Alright, little guppy. This is your moment. Are you ready?”

“Not at all...” she muttered nervously.

Rather than try to comfort her, Larxene just slapped her on the back and sent her out across the party. “That's the spirit. Knock 'em dead, tiger.”

With her heart hammering away in her chest, she cautiously approached Cinderella. The other woman was in the process of talking to her friends, though she did seem genuinely happy to see Aqua approaching. “Well! I wondered if you were ever going to detach yourself from dear Larxene and come say hello. How have you been.” Before she knew it, she was being pulled into a hug, receiving a traditional kiss on each cheek.

“I'm actually doing... really well right now. Working at Reizon still.” She glanced at everyone else around and nervously cleared her throat. “I was wondering if you had a second to talk?”

“Of course. Just a moment.” She leaned over and gave Tiana a kiss on the lips. “Back in a moment, dear!”

Oh. Well. That... made this easier.

The two of them walked over to the bar, each getting a drink. Cinderella had a glass of champagne, Aqua getting herself a whiskey. “So, what was it you wanted to talk about?”

She quickly took a healthy sip from her whiskey and did her best to summon up some courage. “I mostly just wanted to... apologize for how things ended. Between us. I was in a weird place, and I just... I didn't feel like I could give you the attention you deserved. But uhh... it kinda seems like you've managed just fine without me.”

To her credit, the blonde just reached out with her usual flair and took her hand. “It was because of what happened with the two of us that Tiana and I finally grew closer. I could never be upset with you for doing what you felt was best. Besides, it would seem that we have both benefited from our breakup, eh?” She cast a significant glance across the hall to where Larxene stood, raiding the buffet for snacks.

She looked ridiculous. She looked like a starving child in a Dickens story. Kind of adorable, in that precocious way of hers. Even if _this_ wasn't going to happen, there was no sense in disrupting the illusion. Aqua glanced back at her ex, unaware of the wistful smile on her face. “You sound like you aren't too surprised about us.”

“Well, you two were always buddies, even back at Reizon. It seemed like you had so little in common, but you had each others' backs so fiercely. I guess... maybe I kind of assumed back in the day that she was part of the reason you broke up with me? But this happened fairly recently, so I suppose not.” She finally pulled her hand back and took a slow sip from her own glass. “Idle speculation aside, it's obvious how much you care about her.”

Aqua's face was burning now, and she foolishly told herself that it was only because of the alcohol. “Are you kidding? She's a child. She drives me insane.” To hell with their little game of pretend. Certainly Larxene was pretty and occasionally even funny. But more often than not, that came with far too much grief.

Shockingly, Cinderella just grinned at her knowingly. “Well, they say that sometimes the two emotions can be quite close together on the spectrum. It's the people we love most that have the easiest time driving us bananas. Anyway, I should get back to the others. But I'm really glad you came over to chat. Enjoy the rest of the party~”

Aqua stay there at the table, first watching Cinderella return to her friends, and girlfriend. But inevitably her gaze drifted over toward Larxene. The woman was standing off to one side by herself, watching her intently, and mouthed 'what the fuck' in an overly-elaborate attempt at long-distance communication. Aqua shook her head with a wry smile. It would have been rude to leave the poor woman alone at this point, so she picked up her whiskey and moved across the room to her side, joining her in leaning against the wall.

“What the hell happened? You couldn't seal the deal?” She popped a little piece of finger food in her mouth and chewed it with a slight huff.

Aqua looked into her eyes and, for a moment, felt like she actually saw something different. She had expected it to be disappointment or anger. But Larxene looked almost... relieved. But like she was doing that thing where she buried it under a bunch of other stuff. “She's got somebody else, and I'm not in the habit of breaking up _other peoples'_ relationships,” she muttered softly. “Besides, I um... Well, I'm already here with someone. And it wouldn't be right to be seen ditching her like that...”

Larxene stared at her for a moment in dumb confusion. When it seemed as though she wasn't going to catch on to Aqua's (admittedly vague) hints, she reached out to grab for her free hand, holding it firmly. “Wh- Seriously??”

“Come on. Please don't insult me and play dumb here. You knew what you were doing, didn't you?”

She gave a soft sigh and tossed the rest of her plate in the trash before looking at Aqua with possibly the most sincere face she'd ever seen. “Look, can we just... offer the happy couple one last mozel tov and then go back to the room to talk about it?”

“Yeah. Yeah, of course.” She felt like she knew her friend well enough to be sure this wasn't an act. Squeezing her hand gently, she led Larxene to the table where Honey Lemon and Go Go sat with the rest of their family. A final congratulations, and then it was time to sort all of this out.


	7. Song As Old As Rhyme

One might have assumed that Aqua and Larxene's trip in the elevator back to their room would have been fraught with some kind of intense passion. Instead, it was mostly super awkward, neither one saying anything. And it was really, really weird when Larxene wasn't in a chatty mood. So it felt like a long, long trek to get somewhere private. The door shut with that familiar booming latch and they were finally alone. Breathing a long, deep sigh, the blonde went over to the bed and sat down on the edge, cradling her head in her hands. It wasn't often you got to see her being so real. Not wanting to shatter things too much, too soon, Aqua just leaned up against the wall, arms crossed. “Alright, one major question, and then I'll let you say anything you want. Deal?”

Larxene looked back at her with a weak smile. Jesus, she looked rough. How deep down had she been burying all this?? “Deal.”

“How long has this been in the works? Like... was this your plan from minute one?” She almost hated asking. Because it made Larx sound like some kind of massive asshole who was manipulating her for her own gain. Aqua didn't want it to be true.

“Hah. God no. I wish I was that smart. No, uhh... I mean, you know me. I come up with shit on the fly and then just roll with it. I had this dumbass idea that you could get your ex back by pretending we were dating. I thought I was a freaking genius. But then we were hanging out more than usual, and doing that whole 'practicing' thing, and then I was an idiot and got us one bed to share, and... I-I don't know! I don't know what happened!”

It was comforting, honestly. To see this side of Larxene, and to know that she had just been paranoid this entire time. Moving away from the wall, she settled in next to her on the bed, sighing deeply. “Okay then. Good.” Needing... something, she took the other woman's hand in her own and held it firmly for a moment. “Hm. Funny, but I guess it happened to me first, then.”

Just like that, the tone of things changed. Larxene broke out in a wide grin. Aqua still hated that grin just a little bit. But she also was starting to like it. “Come on, say it. Whaaaaaat happened?”

Her eyes rolled, practically of their own volition. Not wanting to subject herself to the embarrassment of putting words to feelings, she opted instead to reach for her cheek, tugging her friend of more than a decade in for a kiss that had been coming... probably several years, at this point. And it was very very good. Incredible, even. You got the impression that Larxene had kind of perfected the art. Tilting so that their lips fit together just-so, using enough tongue without engaging too much. One of her hands gently rested on the nape of Aqua's neck, playfully tracing a fingertip along the skin. The other brushed slowly up and down along her side, hip to chest and back again.

Just as suddenly, she pulled away, and it was like nothing had happened. She was right back to grinning like an idiot. “You won't get away that easily. Answer the question, Aq'. What happened?”

“Ugghhh, I fell in love with you, you dope! Don't play dumb!”

And with that, Aqua was tackled back onto the bed, their kissing resumed.

* * *

Xion thought it was sort of funny that she had been so nervous before about Kairi not wanting to go out on a double date. And now the four of them were all hanging out in her dorm, watching anime and just kind of enjoying themselves. Still, if Kairi hadn't gotten slightly cold feet, she and Namine wouldn't have had their beach date. She wouldn't have gotten that gorgeous shell. They might not have kissed the way they did. It was a good day.

At some point, Olette piped up with a thoughtful hum. “So, hey, I had an idea. There's the four of us, and Kairi mentioned a couple girls on the swim team. Xion, I think you mentioned two girls you talked to from the drama club? Plus it sounds like Miss Aqua is gay too. It just... It seems like we should have a club! Cuz there isn't one, and there totally should be!”

Of course, Kairi was completely on-board, and Xion was pretty eager to know that everything was safe and friendly, and sweet Namine was always interested in getting to know people. It wasn't long before they were firing off texts and emails to try and get some more interested names.

To think, it wasn't that long ago that Xion felt terrified she might be alone in this school. Now she had friends and a girlfriend, and just maybe a whole network of support. That was bigger than she ever could have properly expressed.

* * *

It had never been like this. Aqua knew that it was tasteless to compare people and their abilities with sex. Not to mention emotional compatibility. But... she was quickly realizing that the time she'd spent with Cinderella was very nice, but... not this. This was passionate and sweet and a little angry and very joyous and... Holy shit. Aqua had willingly been ignoring these feelings for a few weeks. How long had she been doing it unintentionally? Hell, how much earlier could this have happened between them? Or maybe now was the only time...

The two women were laying coiled around one another on the hotel bed, a bit too hot still to really be bundled up in the blankets. On Aqua's request, they had even kicked up the AC. Strange, to be like this, so insanely intimate, with someone who you had thought of as only a friend for so long. But looking at Larxene, she was so damned beautiful. And she looked so happy. And her body? Good god, Aqua hadn't had purely sexual thoughts in so long. Maybe it had something to do with being an actress or...

She was snapped out of her thoughts when her companion gently cleared her throat. Once again, there was a moment of true honesty there. She looked vulnerable again, and it just made Aqua hold her all the tighter.

“Hey, so uhh... I know you prefer my puckishness and all, but can I get real? Just for a sec?”

“Yeah, go for it.”

“You know that like... I literally care about you more than anybody else in this entire world, right? Like... for real. Like uhh... I... I love you, ya know?” Woah. Her face. She was so red, and she looked so nervous, and wow. Even more shocking, the feeling was absolutely mutual.

So, Aqua leaned in and pecked her gently on the lips, playfully, like she almost never did. “Hey. I love you too, idiot.” Before they could be any more mushy, her phone suddenly lit up on the bedside table. She couldn't help but glance at the screen, kind of surprised to see that it was an e-mail from Kairi. She reached for it, curiosity getting the better of her.

“Gawd, are you seriously answering a work email? Right now?”

No point in keeping secrets. Aqua brought the phone over so that both of them could look at it, pulling open the message. “Nah, this is my private e-mail. I give it to students having personal issues, so they feel more comfortable talking.” She was shocked, a little impressed, at what she read there. “Holy. Shit. The kids want to put together a club for queer kids. That's... wow. My god. We're... We're actually doing well as educators. Did we accidentally make a difference?”

Without even missing a beat, Larxene gently took the phone from her hand and looked over the contact list with a little laugh. “Damn. Xion, Jasmine, Esmeralda... They just connected all the dots, huh? That's... fucking awesome.”

“Guess we've got some paperwork to file when we get back.”

* * *

In spite of all her energy and excitement, Olette was maybe a little bit nervous. It was the first official meeting of Reizon's club that still had yet to have any kind of name. She was holding Kairi's hand with an iron grip. And it looked as though Xion and Namine were in much the same boat at the moment.

Everyone they'd invited had shown up, along with a few other students that she hadn't really expected. But the bigger their numbers, the stronger it made them. Even more wonderful, Kairi's coach Aqua was there. But what no one had expected was that she would bring Larxene along with her. Nor that the two women would be leaning on a desk and holding hands. There was obviously something going on there that none of them had known about.

Kairi, bless her heart, had agreed to be a temporary president until proper elections could be held. Hesitantly, she released Olette's hand and got up to her feet. “Um, thank you all so much for being here. I can't even... begin to tell you what it means! So, I guess first things first, we need to figure out what to call ourselves!”

The debate began, enthusiastic and opinionated.

Despite the fact that it was already well into mid-October, it felt like the semester was truly beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think we're going to end it here! I left things with potential for later chapters if I ever get my dander up enough to add to it. But for now, I'm gonna let our girls live in their own little world for a while. Thank you to everyone who commented and shared. This was such a fun one to write.


End file.
